About RomeList

The Rome that Romans use

Most guides to Rome stop at the monuments. Ours starts where they stop: in the quartieri where Romans buy their bread, take their children to swimming lessons, have a jacket taken in and argue about who makes the best carbonara. Trastevere and Monti have their famous corners, but so do San Lorenzo, Garbatella, Prati and Centocelle, and the people who live there know exactly which ones they are.

Rome also keeps its own rhythms. Plenty of shops close for a long lunch, many owners take their holidays in August, and the best forno in the street can sell out of pizza bianca well before noon. A useful guide has to respect all of that.

Who we are

RomeList is an independent editorial guide to Rome's local businesses, written in English for residents, students, long-stay visitors and anyone curious about the city's everyday side. We publish rankings by category, from food, hotels and shops to beauty, culture, car services, sport and professional help, and we keep them grounded in the way Romans actually live.

How we put the guide together

Each list begins with research across the whole city rather than a handful of central streets. We look for businesses whose reputation has lasted for years, confirm that they are open and correctly described, and revisit every ranking during the year. When a place closes or slips, it leaves the list; when a newcomer earns a following, it gets its turn.

For readers and for businesses

If you are new to Rome, think of the guide as a shortcut to the places that would otherwise take years of trial and error to find. If you have lived here for decades, treat it as a second opinion, or as a list to argue with over dinner.

Owners whose business appears on RomeList can claim it and keep their information accurate from the section of the site dedicated to businesses.